sore throat for 7 months..continous herx???

sarah92202

Kim, I bumped it up!

ktp812

Thanks for trying Sarah! I read on one of your other posts that your sons play football. My son played all through college. I am so glad I wasn't sick then or else I don't think I could have made it through the games. It must be tough playing in that heat. I hope you are having a nice weekend. I will talk to you soon.
Kim

Lymekiller

Kim, I have had a sore throat since my Lyme started a few years ago. Since I know it is related I patiently waited til the right antibotic came along to kill the lyme in the area. I knew it was related to it because my ear hurt also. Well finally after Rifampin and my 5th Bicillin LA shot my sore throat of 2 years or so is GONE!!!!.... Sore throats if you have been tested and know you have lyme has a high possibility of being related to the infectious soup given in a tick bite. Don't know if it is Bartonella but there is a good chance it is a related organism. Levaquin is also effective but since it binds Florine to your cells it has some really bad side effects. Rifampin has been my miracle drug in a sea of confusion. My LLMD cycles many antibotics so he focuses on getting rid of each and every symptom. Sore Throat is one of my lingering last ones. Hang in there. Ticker has excellent advice.

ktp812

Thanks for responding. I was beginning to think no one would have an opinion on this. I never had a sore throat as a symptom before I was diagnosed. It came after starting the abx and just never goes away. Well I have had a few periods of time when it disappears for a couple days. I have switched up the abx a couple times but it still lingers. The doctor wants to start IV next month if I still am having it. I am thinking after all this time it must be from a co-infection. I see him again in a couple weeks and will talk with him then. I don't want to start IV if there is another abx that could help with this. Thanks again for you input.
Kim

sarah92202

Kim, how long have you been taking the Cortef? My endo put me on it and now I have a sore throat. I looked through the side effects and it says prolonged sore throat. Could it be the Cortef? Oh, and as you may have already guessed my endo appt. didn't go like I had hoped. He didn't feel the pregnenolone did enough and my adrenal levels are too low to keep on without the Cortef, so I'm on it. Also I don't think that we are suppose to take Rifampin with the Cortef. Ask your husband, he would know! Hope that you are feeling OK today. I hope that your appt. wiht the LLMD goes well!!! Sarah

ktp812

Hi Sarah

I don't see the doctor for another 2 weeks. I looked up when I started on the cortef and it was the end of September 2006. My sore throat started on Nov 5-five days after starting the abx. Yeah, I keep good notes..I am not sure the cortef would have taken that long to give me a sore throat but I am going to ask the doctor. It does come and go. I mean I have had 3-4 days where it just goes away but I do mostly have it all the time. When I called the doctor after starting the abx and feeling so sick he asked the symptoms and he said it was Herx. I don't know but I guess I will believe him. It will be interesting to see how long you have the sore throat.
I am definately noticing a difference with the cortef. It took about 10 weeks but I am beginning to feel not quite as exhausted all the time. There are no drug interactions with the Rifampin and Cortef. I did want to mention that I started out taking 7.5 mg and he slowly raised it to 20mg. It has made a difference. How much are you taking? I have had no side effects at all. I have had 3 good days in a row. I worked yesterday and was pretty tired last night though. How are you doing other than the sore throat. I got my bill from Igenex so the doctor must be getting the results soon!
Kim

sarah92202

Kim, I will keep you informed on the sore throat, it may just be because I exhausted myself today. That does happen to me sometimes, tomorrow I probably won't be able to get out of bed. As for the dose, he prescribed 5 mg. 4 times a day, but I am not going to start out taking that much, it just seems too high. He also wants me to keep taking 20mg. of preg. and 5mg. of compounded DHEA 2 times a day. The DHEA scares me, that's why I asked for the compunded form instead of just over the counter. I don't want to look like Grizzly Adams. OH, I just dated myself, huh, LOL. What do you think of all of this, plus the Lyme treatment, it seems a bit much! He says all my levels are way to low, cotisol, insulin, DHEA, progesterone, estrogen. I hope this works, I'm glad to hear that you are feeling abetter on the cortef. I really didn't want to have to resort to steriods, but I guess I'm to the point where it is a necessity. Let me know what your results say! Sarah

ktp812

Sarah

I am afraid of DHEA. I was going to take it because my level was very low but didn't. I think the doctor is hoping if the cortisol levels raise then the DHEA level will raise too. That is what I take 5mg-4 times a day. I was beginning to give up hope that it would help.I didn't want to take the cortef either but I was truly suffering with the exhaustion/fatigue and decided it was worth the risk. It is overwhelming having all this stuff going on. I have osteopenia too because of the adrenals and cortef isn't good for the bones so I have to take medication for that too. I feel like a walking medicine cabinet. I have to bring my abx with me when I go out so I can take it on time. I will let you know when I hear from the doctor. Off to bed for me!
Kim

sarah92202

Kim, what has your husband said about DHEA? Does he feel that the compounded DHEA is better than OTC? I read that it can be troublesome for women. And can raise the testosterone levels too, don't want that! Maybe I will just take the cortef for a month or so and see how I feel, since I am still going to be taking 20mg of preg too. I klnow what you mean about being overwhelmed. I feel like all I have time to do is take pills. I missed my second does of ABX's yeterday because we were out to dinner, and then I didn't want to take them at 10:00 at night with no food. We can't take supp.'s with ABX's or Probiotics with ABX's, then there's the Cortef, the preg, the Wobenzym N that I take 6 a day. UGH! I'm suppose to take Biotin 4 times a day, We should just sit in front of the med. cabinet. All my daily pills don't fit in one of those daily boxes people use that have a little box for each day of the week. I would need one the size of a suitcase, LOL! I hope that you are feeling better this weekend. We have to drive to Houston so my husband can measure a window job. He estimates and installs hurricane windows and shutters. They are estimating 17 tropical storms this season, and 5 of them will become major hurricanes with winds obove 100. So my husband is working 7 days a week. Usually I look forward to the trips, but I'm not looking forward to all the traveling this summer, I just feel crappy!!, He installs all over the entire Texas Coast.
I'll check in tomorrow afternoon, Sarah

ktp812

Hi Sarah
My husband doesn't really do much compounding. If the doctor wanted me to take DHEA my husband would be all for it. He hasn't mentioned it to me. The doctor tells me he doesn't want me to become pill overwhelmed. I am taking about 35 a day including supplements. I think he wants to give the cortef a good chance to work. I am having a huge problem with dry eyes now. It is to the point where I am putting ointment in them during the day and can't see. They have been really bad since I went back to the amox/probenecid. I am seeing my GP on Monday so I am going to ask him for a prescription for my eyes. My sore throat is 24/7 too since going back. I am pretty sure he is going to put me on IV. At this point I will do anything to get rid of this sore throat. I was reading up on Ketek the other night and it said when you are on it to expect a prolonged Herx reaction. I guess 7 months is pretty prolonged huh? I went to Texas about 5 years ago with my husband on business. We were in Dallas and drove to Arlington so I could see the baseball stadium. We came in January and it was only in the 30's. I am still feeling much less exhausted so I hope it continues. Talk to you soon.
Kim PS-I am leaving for NC on the 6th to visit our sons. I just wanted to let you know so you don't think I have just disappeared! I will write before then though.